1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microwave unit door with a viewing window, which closes a processing, cooking or heating space, and comprises a metallic door frame, in which at least two glass panes are held spaced apart from each other, and in which the viewing window has an optically transparent conductive coating or layer for shielding or screening off the propagated microwave radiation and for preventing formation of a water vapor condensate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Doors for microwave units typically have a viewing window, in order to be able to better observe the heating or cooking process performed in the microwave unit. This viewing window comprises, in a known manner, two glass panes arranged spaced apart from each other in a metallic frame, which are made from high-temperature-resistant glass. Since this glass is also transparent for microwaves to a considerable extent, a screen or shield against microwave radiation is required within the metallic frame in the vicinity of the viewing window.
In known microwave units this screen or shield comprises a black metallic perforated plate, which is rigidly attached in the space between both glass panes and is in conductive contact with the metallic frame. This comparatively heavy perforated metallic plate, also is called a screen or grate, which of course shields from the microwave radiation to the required extent, but which impairs the observation of the interior of the microwave unit to a significant extent. This is similar in microwave units in which the metallic screen is printed on one of the glass panes (DE 32 31 516 A1). At the same time with current units of this type water droplets form during heating up, which deposit on the interior glass pane and because of that also obstruct the observation through the window.
Microwave viewing windows are already known in the state of the art, which permit improved observation of the interior and prevent condensation on the window. DE 30 32 998 C2 describes a viewing window for a microwave unit, which can comprise one or more glass plates, and which is provided with a thin transparent metal layer on the inner surface facing the processing chamber, whose thickness is selected so that, on the one hand, the transparent glass material is heated by the high frequency currents flowing in this metal layer during operation of the microwave unit, so that condensation of water vapor on the interior surfaces of the viewing window occurring during food processing is prevented. On the other hand, the thickness is selected so that passage of the microwave radiation generated by the microwave generator and conducted through the wave guide into the processing or heating space does not pass through the viewing window, i.e. it is reflected back into the processing space.
The heat up of the layer for preventing condensation on the viewing window, on the one hand, and the reflection of microwave radiation back into the processing space, on the other hand, require different design features of the metal layer due to the different physical effects. Because of that compromises must be made in the known case so that both functions are not optimal.
Thus in later work the microwave door with viewing window is equipped with only one or the other function. DE 36 44 276 A1, DE 39 23 734 C1 and DE 44 23 100 C1 disclose metallic layers applied to the inner glass pane exclusively or only for shielding from the microwave radiation. DE 39 23 734 C1 describes a practical transparent conductive coating, which comprises an indium oxide-zinc oxide mixture or zinc oxide with a preferred thickness between 0.5 xcexcm and 1 xcexcm, with a maximum surface resistance of 10 Ohm.
DE 42 33 471 A1 describes a metallic coating applied to the inner pane of the viewing window exclusively for preventing condensate formation.
It is an object of the present invention to form a microwave unit door with a viewing window of the above-described kind, so that the viewing window facilitates improved observation of the interior of the microwave unit with the required optimized shielding from microwave radiation and prevents condensation from the interior in a very effective manner.
This object and others, which will be made more apparent hereinafter, are successfully attained in a microwave unit door with a viewing window, which closes a processing or interior space of the microwave unit, which comprises a metallic door frame and two glass panes held spaced apart in the door frame, in which the viewing window has an optically transparent conductive layer for screening or shielding from microwave radiation and for preventing condensation of water vapor.
According to the invention the interior glass pane closest to or facing the processing space has at least one optically transparent first layer absorbing microwave radiation, which is designed regarding microwave absorption ability, so that it heats up to prevent condensate formation. The outer glass pane has at least one optically transparent second layer that reflects microwave radiation passing through the first layer.
The first layer directed to or facing the processing space heats up because of absorption of part of the microwave radiation and thus prevents water vapor condensation. Furthermore it shields or screens off the microwave radiation to a certain extent. The second layer faces the surroundings or exterior of the unit and reflects the remaining radiation, which passes through the first layer, completely toward the interior, i.e. provides the necessary screening for maintaining the prescribed limits. Since the door according to the invention with the viewing window has its own layer for each functionxe2x80x94respectively radiation shielding and condensate prevention, each layer can be optimized independently of the others to fulfill its function.
Furthermore there is a redundancy regarding screening, if one glass pane breaks.
According to a first embodiment of the invention the microwave door is formed so that the first layer is built up on the side of the interior glass pane, which is immediately adjacent to the processing space, i.e. the inner side. In this embodiment it is appropriate that the first layer is additionally provided with an outer scratch protecting coating, preferably a silicone oxide coating, which prevents mechanically rubbing off or abrasion of the first layer during use of the unit.
Alternatively in another embodiment the microwave unit door is formed so that the first layer is on the outer side of the interior glass pane, which faces away from the processing space. In this embodiment the interior glass pane is preferably formed as a thin carrier pane, i.e. thinner than the outer glass pane, since it must be heated up in the heat up phase and thus should have as small as possible a heat capacity.
To amplify or increase these effects the microwave unit door can be formed so that a first layer is formed on both sides of the interior glass pane and/or a second layer is formed on both sides of the outer glass pane.
An effective prevention of condensate formation and screening may be obtained according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, when the first layer is a high-ohm electrically conductive layer with a surface resistance of up to 200xcexa9/xe2x96xa1 and the second layer is a low-ohm electrically conductive layer with a surface resistance of 50xcexa9/xe2x96xa1.
In order to guarantee the required visual observation, the invention provides that the electrically conductive layers, e.g. comprising indium/zinc oxide (ITO), fluorine-doped zinc oxide and/or aluminum doped zinc oxide.
A simple possibility for predetermining the temperature of the inner glass pane during heat up by the electrically conductive layers is to provide an inner conductive layer containing high resistance material, which has NTC behavior, according to an additional embodiment of the invention.
The electrical resistance of this sort of material decreases with increasing temperature, which limits the temperature of the interior glass pane during full load operating conditions.
These materials can be applied as a layer, e.g. as a lacquer or varnish or sol-gel layer. Alternatively they can be finely divided in a transparent glass or plastic matrix.
Materials are similarly conceivable, whose resistance can be varied by varying the applied electrical voltage or by varying current flow so that the absorption behavior for microwaves can be changed.
As an alternative to the electrically conductive layers according to an additional embodiment of the invention the microwave unit door can be formed so that at least the first layer is a transparent sol-gel layer, which is doped with nanoscale particles absorbing microwaves.
Glass ceramic particles, for example, which are present in the high quartz mixed crystal form, cause good absorption. Examples of this sort of material include glass with an Alxe2x80x94Lixe2x80x94Si composition.
Furthermore it is conceivable to apply an optically transparent plastic foil or foils, which is or are provided with a conductive coating, by means of a transparent glue or adhesive.